Fishing at McCreight's Pond, Algoma, Ontario

• Overview

  McCreight's Pond falls in Algoma, part of Ontario. Lake country bush runs right down to the water. Roughly 25 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The bank runs about 5.0 km all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Ontario listings. The nearest place of any size is Thessalon, 9.7 km away. Greater Sudbury is the closest city, 194 km away. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on McCreight's Pond

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Algoma cover walleye, northern pike and Iowa darter. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. At McCreight's Pond the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 18°C and January at -10°C. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about early December in a typical year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. It holds true on McCreight's Pond more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Picnic facilities are recorded some 210 m out. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Loon Lake, 2.9 km out. Check the position on McCreight's Pond before loading the car.